Constraint-induced Aphasia Therapy Improves the Use of Spoken Language and Word-finding Ability in Chronic Subcortical Aphasia: A Case Report.

Background: Constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT) has been reported as a short-term, intensive language training program for improving language function in patients with chronic aphasia. We report the recovery of language function in a patient with chronic aphasia who was evaluated in the baseline assessment as having reached a plateau. Case: The patient with subcortical aphasia was a 62-year-old, right-handed man. At 192 days after left putamen hemorrhage, he visited our hospital to begin CIAT. The patient's language and speech abilities were evaluated 1 month before and immediately before the start of CIAT. To evaluate the training effect, language function was assessed immediately after, 1 month after, 3 months after, and 6 months after the end of CIAT. The Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), the single-word-naming task in the Test of Lexical Processing in Aphasia (TLPA), and the Verbal Activity Log (VAL) were used to assess his language function and the amount of spoken language. From 1 month before CIAT to 6 months after CIAT, the WAB Aphasia Quotient increased by 6.1 points. Compared with before therapy, the errors of apraxia of speech in the TLPA disappeared from immediately after to 6 months after CIAT. Although the VAL score at 3 months after CIAT was higher than that before the start of CIAT, the score decreased after 6 months because of reduced opportunities for communication with friends. Discussion: CIAT improved the word-naming ability and amount of spontaneous, real-world spoken language in a patient with chronic aphasia.

Single-Stage Total Arch Replacement With Open Stent Graft for Kommerell's Diverticulum With Right-Sided Aortic Arch.

We treated a 70-year-old patient with Kommerell's diverticulum associated with an aberrant left subclavian artery and right aortic arch using single-stage total arch replacement with a commercially available open stent graft through only a median sternotomy. A four-branched prosthetic graft was implanted after insertion of the open stent graft through the anastomotic site under moderate hypothermia and cardiopulmonary bypass with selective cerebral perfusion. The aberrant subclavian artery was occluded by coil embolization from the distal site and anatomically reconstructed from the prosthetic graft. This approach is safe and effective and allows avoidance of a right thoracotomy and second stage intervention.

Minimally invasive mitral valve repair via right mini-thoracotomy in patient with myelodysplastic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgery for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients is challenging because anemia and neutropenia develop as a result of the syndrome, leading to infection and bleeding tendency during surgery. We report the case of minimally invasive mitral valve repair via a right mini-thoracotomy and perioperative use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in a patient with MDS. CASE PRESENTATION: A 77-year-old man with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was referred for surgical treatment for mitral valve regurgitation and underwent a minimally invasive mitral valve repair via a right mini-thoracotomy (MICS mitral procedure). On admission, laboratory results showed a leukocyte count of 1500/µL and neutrophils at 190/µL. Prior to surgery, a subcutaneous injection of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was given, based on a diagnosis of MDS by a hematologist. The MICS-mitral procedure using artificial chordae and an annular ring prosthesis was completed without requiring re-exploration for bleeding. Postoperatively, a G-CSF injection was administered and transfusion was required. There was no infection complication and the postoperative course was uneventful. CONCLUSION: A MICS-mitral procedure may be an effective option for MR patients with MDS who require a mitral valve repair to avoid postoperative infection and reduce the incidence of perioperative transfusion.

Successful surgical resection of giant arteriovenous malformation in supraclavicular fossa.

A 42-year-old woman with a large congenital giant arteriovenous malformation in the left supraclavicular fossa underwent surgical resection. Although endovascular treatment was initially planned, it was impossible to occlude the multiple feeding arteries (transverse cervical, clavicular branch of left internal mammary, thoracoacromial, anterior/posterior circumflex humeral), and the anatomy was difficult. After removal of the left clavicle, the arteriovenous malformation was exposed. Care was taken to not injure the brachial plexus, and each feeding artery was ligated, followed by division of the drainage veins. The postoperative course was uneventful, and no sign of recurrence has been seen.

The efficacy of tolvaptan in the perioperative management of chronic kidney disease patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

PURPOSE: The perioperative management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing open-heart surgery is challenging. In this study, we evaluated the effects of tolvaptan in CKD patients after open-heart surgery. METHODS: Between 2010 to 2015, 731 patients underwent open-heart surgery in our hospital. We consecutively selected 71 patients with stage IIIa-IV CKD and divided them into two groups. Those who received tolvaptan postoperatively were defined as the "Tolvaptan group" (n = 25) and those who did not were defined as the "Non-tolvaptan group" (n = 46). We compared the urine volume of postoperative days (POD) 1 and 2, the number of days to return to preoperative body weight (BW), and the change in the postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). RESULTS: In the tolvaptan group, the urine volume was significantly larger (P = .04) and the duration to preoperative BW tended to be shorter. Overall, the postoperative change in the eGFR tended to be better in the tolvaptan group (P = .008). In particular, we found a significantly better trend in CKD stage IV (P = .04) patients and in the patients, whose cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was longer than 120 min (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Tolvaptan can safely be used for CKD patients undergoing open-heart surgery and can provide a feasible urine volume without leading to a deterioration of their renal function.

[How should be a psychiatric hospital to take in and utilize the psycho-social approaches in Japan? -- From the view point of psychiatry, medical model, medical system and economical management system].

The author developed argument that a cause of the present condition of our country, in which psycho-social approaches have not fully spread though its clinical efficacy has been well recognized, is in the medical institution side. Because, our psychiatric reforms over 17 years, that reduced the average duration of hospitalization from about 2156 days to 61 days, has attained by deployment of various psycho-social approaches based on "therapeutic community model" and "psychodynamic team treatment". Furthermore, it has done by the affinity, continuity and complementarities of "psychodynamic team treatment" and psychosocial approaches with following special features. That is, since psycho-social approaches is 1. techniques to acquire the social life skill and to prevent re-hospitalization, 2. the group psychotherapy by facilitating the patient's mutual help capability, 3. based on "acceptance of the disease" by "noticing the diagnosis". Even if the therapeutic orientation or assumption of the psychiatric hospital does not comprehend above all of 1-3, it is important whether it is in the same direction or not. In other words, it is the issue of the medical-economical-management system, medical model and also the kind of psychiatry that is the source of them. Our hospital is for short term hospitalization and in focus on the outpatient treatment with "psychodynamic team treatment" based on "therapeutic community model". That is why our hospital has a potential advantage to take in and utilize the psycho-social approaches. On the other hand, there is the same reason why it is difficult for the traditional psychiatric hospital for long term hospitalization with higher hierarchical "physical medicine model" based on the descriptive psychiatry. The further problem is that both psychiatric hospital staff and psycho-social therapists do not realize it. The most important issue for us is having the recognition and exploring the method not to adapt to a psychiatric hospital but to improve and spread psycho-social approaches to psychiatric hospital.